The forest air was crisp that morning, carrying the faint scent of dew and ash from last night's campfire. Asura stood a short distance from the smoldering pit, holding his wooden katana. The weapon felt oddly warm in his hand, familiar in a way no blade should be after four years of abuse.
He turned it slowly, golden eyes reflecting the scars and grooves carved deep into the wood.
"Four years…" he murmured. His voice was soft, thoughtful. "Four years of swinging you until my hands bled. Four years of fighting monsters, learning techniques, pushing myself…"
He lowered the blade, pressing it lightly against his shoulder. "And you're still just… a stick."
The quiet was broken by Selene's footsteps as she approached, brushing ash from her hands after snuffing out the fire. Her violet eyes caught the katana in his grip, narrowing with faint incredulity.
"Young master," she said evenly, "you're still carrying that thing?"
Asura blinked and tilted his head, feigning innocence. "…Yeah? Why?"
Her brow furrowed. She pointed at the scarred wood. "You fought a Behemoth with that wooden practice sword. A World Boss. And not only did you survive—you managed to damage it. And the weapon you used was… that."
Asura scratched his cheek sheepishly, chuckling. "Guess it's… durable?"
Selene's lips parted, disbelief flickering across her composed face before she let out a soft laugh—something rare, something genuine. She shook her head, brushing her black hair back with one gloved hand.
"Ridiculous," she muttered. "Completely ridiculous. Only you would challenge the impossible with nothing but a stick—and somehow win enough to walk away."
Asura's grin widened at her laughter, but inside, his resolve was sharpening into steel.
She's right. It is ridiculous. I've pushed this further than anyone should have. If I'm going to face what's coming—if I'm going to stand against World Bosses—then I need more than wood.
His golden eyes darkened, his aura pulsing faintly.
"I'll need real weapons," he whispered to himself. "Six of them."
Selene glanced at him, tilting her head. "Six?"
Asura smirked, gripping the katana tighter. "One blade was never enough. A Swordman I remember had three. I'll triple it. Six blades—one for every path I'll carve into this world."
The words hung heavy in the morning air, not boastful, but certain—an oath.
Selene said nothing. She only studied him quietly, a flicker of worry beneath her calm expression. For the first time, she wasn't sure if her young master was being reckless… or if he truly meant to reshape the world in his own image.
✦ The Vision of Power
Asura gripped the wooden katana tighter. Four years of swings, four years of broken bones and endless training sessions—all with this same stick. It had carried him through battles that should have killed him. But now, even he couldn't deny it anymore.
It wasn't enough.
His golden eyes narrowed as he lifted the scarred blade, staring at the faint cracks running along its length. Each scratch told a story of fights survived and victories stolen from monsters that should have devoured him whole.
"…You've done your part," he muttered under his breath. "But I can't lean on you forever."
He shut his eyes. And in the darkness, he saw it.
Not a single blade. Not two. But six.
Six swords spinning like a storm, slashes crisscrossing so fast they became streaks of light. Each movement precise, yet overwhelming—a whirlwind of destruction. An art not of this world, but born from it, sharpened by his obsession.
His chest tightened with excitement as the system pulsed in response, a chime resonating through his mind like the toll of fate.
[Unique Concept Detected: Six-Blade Demon Style.]
(Locked until weapons acquired.)
The words glowed across his vision, and Asura's lips split into a grin, sharp and wolfish.
"…Yes. That's it. Exactly."
The world itself seemed to acknowledge his ambition. And that wasn't enough—no, not nearly enough. His mind drifted back to memories from a life now gone: nights in his old world where he had sat cross-legged on the floor, glued to screens of heroes, warriors, conquerors who wielded more than strength.
Not just weapons. Will.
He remembered them all—armors born from nothing but resolve, blows that shattered mountains with spirit alone, a pressure that bent entire armies before a single sword was swung.
His heart thudded faster, blood singing in his veins.
"If I can recreate their sword skills and magic," he whispered, voice low but thrumming with conviction, "…why not these too?"
The words tasted heavy on his tongue, but he said them anyway:
"Armament Willforce… Conqueror's Will…"
The air trembled faintly around him, his aura leaking without his consent. A whisper of power pressed outward, making the grass at his feet shiver, the trees sway.
Selene, still crouched near the campfire as she doused its embers, stiffened. Her violet eyes darted toward him, narrowing slightly. She had grown accustomed to his strange mutterings, his moments of eerie confidence that made him seem far older than his years. But this time—this time something was different.
"You're speaking nonsense again, young master," she said softly, her tone calm but edged with warning.
Asura opened his eyes. Golden light burned within them, not with childish mischief but with something heavier—inevitable.
His smirk curved into a grin. "Maybe. Or maybe I'm speaking about the future."
The breeze stirred again. For the briefest of instants, Selene thought she saw it—behind the boy's small frame, six phantom arcs cutting the air, shimmering like heat haze. They vanished just as quickly, but the image seared into her mind.
She said nothing more, but her chest tightened as she turned back to the dying fire.
Because deep down, she knew.
Her young master wasn't playing pretend. He wasn't dreaming childish fantasies.
He was glimpsing a tomorrow no one else could see.
And whether that future was salvation or calamity… only time would tell.
✦ Into the Human Village
"Selene."
The violet-eyed maid glanced up from packing their supplies. "Yes, young master?"
"We're going into a human village."
Her hands stilled. "…What?"
Asura grinned, slinging the battered wooden katana over his shoulder. "I need materials. Real steel. Rare ores. Wood that doesn't break every time I swing too hard. If I'm going to make six katanas, it's not like I can just waltz outside, grab some rare ores, and skip back in before Grandpa locks the gates."
Selene straightened slowly, her eyes narrowing. "Young master, the Demon King sent you to monitor adventurers and study monsters. Not to walk into a human settlement where every eye will mark you as an intruder."
"That's why…" Asura's grin widened. "…we go in disguise."
The village of Rensfield bustled with life, tucked along the edge of the forest. Humans wandered between market stalls, merchants hawked goods, adventurers in leather armor strutted past with swords strapped proudly to their backs.
Among them walked a silver-haired boy in plain brown clothes, his horns hidden beneath a hood. Beside him, a young woman in a simple cloak, violet eyes dimmed by shadow.
"Asura," Selene muttered, voice low and clipped, "this is reckless."
He tugged on her sleeve like an impatient child. "Relax. No one's staring. You look normal. Well—" He eyed her. "Normal enough. Just don't glare at people like you're planning to kill them."
Her lips pressed into a thin line. "…You have no idea how close I am to doing exactly that."
The smithy was easy to find—heat rolled out of its open door, sparks flying as a burly blacksmith hammered down on glowing steel.
Asura's eyes lit up. "Perfect. Exactly what I need."
"Remember," Selene hissed, gripping his wrist as he started forward, "you are not to reveal who you are. Or what you are. One slip, and the humans will swarm us with pitchforks and silver."
"I know, I know," Asura said quickly. Then he leaned closer, whispering with a mischievous grin. "Besides, they'll just think I'm some random prodigy brat. Which, technically, I am."
Inside, the blacksmith barely glanced up. "What do you want, kid?"
Asura stepped forward boldly, pulling a small pouch of coins from his robe. "Ore. Steel. Wood strong enough to make a sword. Lots of it."
The blacksmith raised a brow. "That's… not a toy list. Who's it for? Your father?"
Asura's grin widened. "Nope. Me."
Selene pinched the bridge of her nose, already imagining the disaster to come.
The blacksmith barked out a laugh. "You? A runt like you thinks he can forge a blade?"
Asura's golden eyes gleamed beneath his hood. "Not just a blade. Six of them."
The blacksmith froze, caught off guard by the boy's fearless tone. Then he snorted. "Hah! Fine. If you've got coin, I've got material. But don't cry when you burn your fingers, brat."
Asura turned, flashing a triumphant grin at Selene as the crates of ore and steel began to pile up.
"See?" he whispered. "Easy."
Selene's violet eyes softened, but only faintly. "…You are impossible. One day, this recklessness will catch up with you."
"Maybe," Asura said, eyes glittering as he ran his fingers across the cool steel. "But by then, I'll have six katanas. And the world won't know what hit it."
✦ The Village Infiltration
The forge deal was done, but Asura wasn't ready to leave. The bustle of the village pulled at him—stalls overflowing with maps, enchanted trinkets, and food that smelled far better than demon rations.
Selene tugged his sleeve. "We have what we came for. We should return."
"Not yet," Asura whispered, eyes flicking toward the tavern where armored men and women laughed loudly, tankards slamming on tables. "That's where adventurers gather, right? Perfect place to spy."
Selene's lips tightened, but she followed when he slipped inside.
Adventurers at the Tavern
The tavern smelled of ale and roasted meat, the air thick with noise. Adventurers clustered around tables, comparing scars and bragging about kills.
"Mana Beetles are popping up everywhere," one said, slamming a mug down.
"Bah, they're nothing," another laughed. "Barely worth the bounty."
"Tell that to the farmers whose fields got eaten."
Asura leaned forward at a nearby table, pretending to sip from a mug of milk. His golden eyes gleamed with curiosity.
"…They really don't know how dangerous those beetles can get if left unchecked," he muttered under his breath.
Selene shot him a warning look. "Young master—"
But before she could stop him, an adventurer's ear twitched.
Overheard
"Oi, kid," a scarred mercenary growled, turning in his chair. "What was that you said?"
Asura froze. His brain spun. Think! Normal kid act!
"I said…" he gulped, then puffed out his cheeks. "…beetles are gross."
The table erupted in laughter. "Ha! Look at him! Can't argue with that!"
Selene exhaled in relief, though her violet eyes stayed sharp, scanning the room. Too many stares lingered on them.
Selene's Disguise
When a drunken adventurer staggered toward them, sloshing ale dangerously close to Asura's hood, Selene moved.
Her hand flicked, a barely perceptible ripple of mana shifting around them. The drunk blinked, his eyes sliding past as though they were shadows.
"…Weird," he muttered, stumbling back to his seat.
Asura blinked. "You… cloaked us?"
Selene didn't look at him. "An old trick. Illusions bend eyes easily if the target isn't focused. But it won't fool everyone."
Her voice lowered. "…Especially not strong adventurers."
The Slip
Asura leaned forward again, listening to a group of knights at the far table.
"…King's men are moving. Something stirred in the Demon Realm."
"…A roar like thunder. Some say it was one of the Behemoth."
His heart skipped. They heard it too…
Without thinking, he muttered, "It wasn't a roar. It was more like a vibration in the mana itself—"
Selene's hand shot across the table, squeezing his wrist. Hard.
The knights glanced over. Asura forced a goofy grin. "Uh—I mean—scary roar! Super scary! Hee hee."
The knights scoffed and turned back.
Selene's violet eyes burned into him. "…You nearly gave us away."
"Sorry, sorry," he whispered back, though his grin lingered. "Worth it. Now we know the humans are on edge too."
The Exit
By the time they stepped back into the night air, Selene's jaw was tight, her cloak drawn close.
"You are reckless beyond reason," she said quietly. "One slip, and all of Rensfield would've had blades at our throats."
Asura adjusted the bundle of ore strapped to his back, golden eyes gleaming under the hood. "Yeah, but one slip also told us more than a month of rumors would've. Adventurers talk when they drink. And I listened."
Selene sighed, rubbing her temple. "…You'll be the death of me."
He smirked. "Or the reason you get to witness history."